TRS sets sights on winning max seats in GHMC limits

​Hyderabad: The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi is now focusing on winning as many seats as possible in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits by emulating the performance of civic polls where it had won 99 out of the 150 divisions.

The party since the formation in 2001 has struggled to show its presence in the city. The party did not contest the civic elections during the YS Rajasekhara Reddy government. The party won three seats out of 24 Assembly Constituencies in 2014 in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits. 

However, the situation changed after 2014 elections as the TRS gained strength with the joining of eight of the Telugu Desam legislators from the city. The TDP had nine seats in GHMC limits and after the party’s legislators shifting their loyalties it has only one member R Krishnaiah. Later, the party won 99 out of the 150 divisions in the GHMC elections. The TRS leaders feel that the party now has enough strength with the joining of the leaders from other parties. 

There is a sizable number of natives of Andhra Pradesh, who would be crucial in the coming elections. The leaders are confident that the natives of Andhra Pradesh would vote for them. A TRS leader said that the natives of Andhra are angry with the Congress for bifurcation of the state and now on BJP government on the special category status issue and in this case their choice would be TRS as there is no presence of TDP in Telangana. The TRS leader said that the party would give ticket to the leaders from Andhra. The party do not want to take chances as it has focused on the important leaders from Congress party as well. 

Recently, former minister Danam Nagender had joined TRS and the party leaders said that there were more leaders to join soon and this would add to the strength of the party. “The party put up a poor show in earlier elections because the party was limited to villages but now the party has shown its presence by winning 99 seats and the good governance initiatives of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, we are going to win maximum number of seats from the city and form government again in 2019,” said the TRS leader. 

The ruling party is focusing on 17 seats leaving out seven seats in Old City belonging to MIM. The party leaders have been saying that there will be no other party in Telangana except TRS and MIM. The TRS leaders said that the BJP which has five seats cannot retain their seats in the next elections.